Regeneration
by Shedemei
Summary: Raven is alone in the Tower when a weak, frightened Terra comes knocking on the door. But why has Terra returned? And can Raven learn to trust? Two versions: the first one is RaeTer friendship, the second one is shoujo ai. Now beta'd and reuploaded.
1. Friendship Version

Regeneration

Summary: Raven is alone in the Tower when a weak, frightened Terra comes knocking on the door. But why has Terra returned? And can Raven learn to trust?

Disclaimer: If I owned Teen Titans, there would be a way for Raven to force Trigon to leave her alone forever, Beast Boy would have a moped, Terra would be alive (but not paired off with Beast Boy), there would be more episodes with Blackfire in them, and Slade would NOT be working for Trigon. So needless to day, I don't own the show.

Pairings: TerraxRaven friendship

Author's Notes: I have seen no references to Terra's past that lead me to believe anything I have written in this fic. It all came from my imagination. Ergo Derek is my OC. And I would call Raven's eyes purple, not blue. Oh yeah, and this fic is set directly after _The End: Part III_.

The next chapter of this fic is the original (shoujo-ai) version. It is very similar to the first version, and I suggest you pick only one of these to read if you don't want to be bored; because who wants to read the same story twice in a row?

* * *

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos. Azarath, Metrion…"

Raven was meditating. The other Titans had gone out for pizza. Still slightly rattled over the near-permanent destruction of the universe, Raven had found that some extra meditation was required.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zin-"

The Titans' doorbell rang. Raven irritably cracked her eyes open. Who on Earth could that be? The Titans wouldn't use the doorbell. It must be some crazed fan who…

The Tower intercom crackled into life. But only a Titan would know the intercom password. So that meant…

"Guys, it's Terra! I know you're probably still mad at me, but please let me in!"

It certainly sounded like Terra's voice. And it was plausible that when the rest of Earth's population had gone back from stone to flesh, Terra had as well.

Raven phased down to the door and opened it.

Terra looked frightful. Her long blonde hair was matted, her face was smudged, and she was still wearing the peeling metallic suit Slade had forced her to wear. Her knees were trembling, as if staying upright took a tremendous effort.

Terra stared hopefully into the other girl's hard eyes. "Raven…?"

"Don't get your hopes up. The others are out getting pizza."

The geomancer sank to her knees, as if begging for mercy; really, she just lacked the strength to stand. "C-can I come in? Please?" Her voice sounded faithless, as if she knew the answer would be "no."

Realizing that Terra had taken that last sentence the wrong way, Raven said, not unkindly, "I only meant you'll have to wait to see Beast Boy. Come on."

Very matter-of-factly, Raven locked one of Terra's arms around her neck and helped her up.

"Thanks," Terra whispered.

"No problem."

Raven walked Terra down the hall, figuring that she would need to lie down. It was as if her time as a statue had robbed her of the energy required for walking.

"You guys left my room the way it was?" Terra queried as they entered. "Why? I mean, I thought you would have…"

"We were hoping we'd find a way to wake you," Raven replied as she rested Terra on her bed. The shaking girl hugged her knees to her chest.

Raven turned to leave; it wasn't like her to stay and chat.

"Raven?"

"What?" she attempted not to sound harsh.

"Can you help me get this off?" Terra indicated the Slade suit.

Raven considered; if she were Terra, she would definitely want that thing off of her.

"Slade…he said it had integrated into my skin…I don't know if it'll come off…"

"We can try. Lie down."

The smaller girl obeyed.

"I think I can use my powers. But it's going to hurt."

Terra gulped slightly and nodded. "I don't care, just get it off."

"Okay. But first I'm going to see if there's a way to keep it from hurting. Because if I don't, it's going to hurt a lot."

Raven's hand found the back of Terra's neck, and she released a band of black magic that wound itself around the shorter girl's throat. Terra whimpered.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah…I just thought for a second you were going to strangle me."

Raven smirked. "And you were worried about me trusting you."

Terra kept her silence, but she couldn't conceal her injured expression.

"If I strangled you, I would get kicked off the team." Not an apology, but about as close to one as Raven would get.

The blonde did not seem reassured.

"It won't hurt you. That band is to numb you." Raven pinched some exposed skin on Terra's forearm where the suit had chipped away. "Did you feel that?"

"No."

"Good." Raven laid a hand on the suit's collar. Black magic inched its was down Terra's frame, separating skin from metal. It was a truly odd sensation; Terra could literally feel the molecules of the suit disentangling themselves from her tissue.

"This isn't one of those delayed-reaction things, is it? It's going to hurt like crazy the second you're done?"

"No." Raven shifted to healing energy now that the alloy was separated from Terra's body.

Terra had never seen Raven use her healing powers. She watched, fascinated, as a shimmering azure shield surrounded her, repairing her damaged skin.

"There." Raven vaporized the sense-numbing band and, using her telekinesis, pulled the dismembered suit from Terra's prone form.

Suddenly noticing that Terra was bare underneath the suit, the mage slipped off her cloak and draped it across Terra's exposed body. Using her powers, she summoned an outfit that lay carelessly draped over Terra's dresser and handed it to the girl curled up under the navy blue cloth. "Is this okay?"

"Yeah." Terra took the clothes from Raven's outstretched hand.

"I'll turn around while you change."

The geomancer dressed herself. "Raven?"

The taller girl swiveled. "Yeah?"

"Why did I…you know…wake up?"

Raven inhaled deeply. "I think I know. It's part of a very long story."

"What is it?"

"It involves me, my birthday, a demon, Slade, our friends, and a prophecy." She hoped she could get away with an evasive answer.

Terra blinked. "Huh?"

Raven swallowed, linked her fingers together, and began her tale.

"I was raised in a dimension called Azarath. I lived there with my mother, a sorceress named Lady Azar, and the Monks of Azarath, who trained me to control my powers. When I was born, they looked into my future, and they found a prophecy. I was destined to become a portal to the place where my father was imprisoned so he could come to Earth and, from there, destroy the universe."

"Your father."

"He's a demon called Trigon, the source of all evil. As you may have gathered, I'm a rape child."

Terra chewed her fingertips. Her eyes were wider than saucers. "Oh my God…that's why you have four eyes when you lose control of your powers."

Raven nodded. "A celestial cycle was set in motion the day I turned seventeen. And to remind me, Trigon brought Slade back from the dead—as a skeleton with clothes—and sent him to give me the message of my destiny. His chosen method of message-delivering was tearing my clothes off and burning demonic symbols into my skin."

The geomancer began making noises like a frightened puppy.

"I couldn't meditate for a long time. I returned to Azarath to get help, but it had been destroyed. While I was gone, Slade tried to kill the other Titans, but I returned to Earth and beat him up. Then I told the other Titans the truth about my fate.

When the sun eclipsed, I knew that it was time for me to become the portal. Our friends tried to stop me, but I put a spell on them to protect them from Trigon's purge and became the portal anyway. Because I had gone of my own free will, Trigon left Slade a walking skeleton. After I brought Trigon to Earth, he took away my powers, but Slade helped Robin rescue me, and I was able to exorcise Trigon back to hell."

"I thought he took away your powers."

A ghost of a smile appeared on Raven's face. "He thought he did. Unfortunately, Robin had to help Slade in return for help rescuing me, and Slade was able to get his flesh and blood back. But anyway, I reversed all the destruction that Trigon caused, including all the humans that had been turned to stone. I think you became human again as well, when that happened."

"Holy…" Terra could not seem to find an expletive strong enough for what she wanted to express. "So you beat your father? Despite that whole prophecy thing?"

Raven nodded.

To her surprise, Terra hugged her. "That's…incredible. I…wow. I never knew you were so strong."

"I don't know if 'strong' is the right word." Slowly, almost hesitantly, Raven returned Terra's embrace.

"But Slade…he's…"

"Back."

Raven could feel the smaller girl tremble. "You said…Slade tore your clothes off…he didn't…"

"No," the telekinetic replied quickly. "Why? He never did anything like that to you, did he?"

"No. Nearly electrocuting me was the worst of it."

"Wonderful."

"You don't think…now that he's back…he'll come after me?" Terra suddenly felt sick and guilty, worrying about what Slade might do to her, after Raven had been traumatized, haunted, stripped of power, and forced to become a portal to the underworld.

"You have your friends to protect you. I know what it's like to have Slade after you. I won't let him touch you, if he has the guts to try and attack you." _Why did I say "I?" I meant all of the Titans, didn't I?_

Terra's arms tightened around Raven's neck. "Thank you."

"You are welcome."

Raven gently pushed Terra back onto the mattress and got up to leave.

"Raven?"

"Yeah."

"I…I know it's stupid, but…I'm still kind of freaked…will you stay with me?"

Raven knew exactly how that felt; curled up in the dark, lonely and frightened and shaking, no one there to fight away the menacing ghost hanging over your neck like a guillotine blade.

"OK." Raven delicately lay down beside Terra. Again, the shorter girl squirmed closer to Raven and hugged her.

"Terra?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you _mind?_"

The blue-eyed girl blushed. "Sorry. I just—sorry."

"You just what?"

"I don't want to feel alone."

Raven was silent. On one hand, intimacy such as physical contact made Raven feel uncomfortable. On the other hand, if Terra needed to be that close…would it be _so_ torturous?

Rather stiffly, Raven looped her arm around Terra's waist. "I may have to attach duct tape to your mouth to prevent you from telling the other Titans about this, but oh well." Terra's dresser drawers flew open; Raven winced.

This time understanding that Raven was joking, Terra snuggled up to her like a cat, pressing her head into the empath's shoulder.

"I thought you wouldn't let me…uh…do this."

"That makes two of us."

"Raven, when I was working for Slade…what I did to you and the other Titans…"

"You made a mistake. You made up for it by killing Slade."

"A mistake? Not many people who make mistakes almost kill their friends!"

"Not many people make mistakes that nearly destroy the universe either."

Terra calmed herself. "I'm sorry. I was stupid. But when…Slade said he was the only one who would ever help me…"

"Terra, we forgive you. No more angsting over what you did. You earned our trust by betraying Slade."

"I…I did? But you never…"

"I trust you, Terra."

The geomancer squeezed her eyes shut, tears leaking from beneath her closed lids.

Raven felt a tear drip onto her chest, heard Terra sniffle. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah…I just really needed to hear that. Especially from you. I mean, you were the one I always wanted to trust me."

It was Raven's turn to be startled. "Me? Not Beast Boy?"

"Well, Beast Boy kind of always trusted me. But when I was still a drifter, I heard about the Titans. I'd see you guys in magazines and newspapers and stuff. I heard about you. How you had trouble controlling your powers, like me. I always thought: maybe if I ever got to meet you, you could help me."

_Oh, great._ "Sorry to, uh, disappoint you. But when you first arrived, I felt like you were going to take my place on the team, and I resented that. But—this might make you feel better—I had a vision of you working for Slade. That was why I didn't trust you."

"So you knew? And you didn't do anything?"

"I decided to give you a second chance."

An image floated unwelcome into Terra's mind, one of Raven tipping her head back for a final gasp of air before Terra forced her down into the muddy water.

"And look what I did with it."

"I forgive you, remember?"

"At least you gave me the second chance. That's more than my parents gave me."

"What did they do?"

"When they found out what I could do, they dumped me in an orphanage. They were scared, I guess."

"Were you ever adopted?"

"No. They always said I had a behavioral problem. I'd always get in trouble for throwing rocks at the kids I didn't like. I always insisted it wasn't me, but…it was. I just didn't know it."

"When did you find out it _was_ you?"

"There was this one boy, Derek, who always teased me about how I always got in trouble and didn't have any friends. One day when I was eight, he and a bunch of his lackeys cornered me and started throwing sticks and rubber bands at me. There was this huge rock near my feet, and I thought how I'd just like to ram it into his head, and well…it did."

"Was we okay?"

"He died."

Maybe Terra was imagining things, but she could have sworn that Raven's arms tightened around her back.

"If this helps, I killed someone too. When I was young, and my powers had a growth spurt and my ability to control them didn't."

"How old were you?"

"Six."

"Oh my God."

"Did you leave the orphanage right after the…accident?"

"I'm sixteen now. I left when I was twelve."

"Why did you leave then?"

"They were finally starting to figure out it wasn't a ghost throwing rocks around…or a human throwing them by hand. I was trying to learn to control my powers, but I nearly caused a mudslide. I figured I'd better beat it before they came after me."

"Did you ever think about looking for your parents?"

"After I found records of why they left me—they couldn't financially or psychologically handle my 'behavioral problems,' when the people who ran the orphanage said I didn't start hitting people with rocks until I was five—no. I found out my real name, though."

"What is it?"

"It's Amalia. Amalia Olivia Anderson."

"Very Scandinavian," Raven commented. "Amalia. That's pretty."

_Did Raven just pay me a compliment?_

"Yeah. I still went by Terra, though. The police never went looking for a runaway 'Terra,' because the orphanage sure didn't want me back."

"So then what?"

"I tried to be a hero, like the Titans. But sometimes I'd lose control…"

"I see."

"What about you?"

"Me what?" Raven queried.

"How did you get here?"

"When I was thirteen, I sensed something while I was meditating. I felt Trigon getting restless. When I kept getting visions of his destroying Azarath and capturing me, I told Lady Azar. She gave me that book I'm always reading—the Book of Azar—and then she, the monks, and my mother sent me to Earth. They had always known that I would bring Trigon to Earth, so they thought Earth would be the last place my father would look for me."

"Did he come to Azarath anyway?"

"And destroy it? Yes."

"What about…what about Lady Azar? And your mom?"

Raven paused. "I don't know."

"I hope she's okay." Terra whispered.

"Me too." There was another lull after the grim sentence. "Anyway, I came here, because the chamber where I was supposed to become the portal was in this city; again, the last place Trigon would ever look. I arrived around the time the Titans were forming, and I thought I might as well help some people before…well, you get it."

Unable to think of anything to say, Terra patted Raven's back gently.

"Damn, I didn't mean to get into my depressing life story."

"It's okay."

This really was nice, learning that Raven could relate to all of Terra's power-related problems. Even Beast Boy couldn't understand her on that level. Just Raven…

The earth-mover remembered seeing pictures of the Titans for the first time. Raven had always worn her hood up, and all Terra had been able to see of her face were the two piercing violet eyes. But then, in a magazine, there had been one candid shot of the Titans getting pizza. Raven's cowl had been down and, the day being warm, she had actually removed her cloak and hung it on the back of her chair. Terra recalled thinking, _Wow, she's pretty. Why does she always hide inside that cloak? Is she that…closed in person? She has four great friends, right? Man, I wouldn't hide my face if I were that pretty…_

Terra was suddenly jerked out of her reveries when she remembered that Raven was a telepath. _Dude, I really hope she wasn't reading my mind._

"Hey, Raven?"

"Yeah."

"Can you read minds?"

"I sense emotions, not direct thoughts or memories. Actually, I can 'read minds,' but not without the other person noticing, because I have to send my soulself into their mind. Only if I perform a mind-meld can the other person see my thoughts. Why?"

"Uh…I just remembered you using your healing powers on me, and I wondered what else you could do."

"Okay." Raven did not sound convinced.

_I have her trust. Now I have to keep it._ "Well, really, I was hoping you weren't reading my mind, because I was just thinking…you're really pretty."

Raven's reply was surprising. "I am not."

"How can you say that? You're totally pretty!"

"I have gray skin, Terra."

"So? Beast Boy's green. Weird skin is fine with me."

"Really."

"Yeah, really! Geez, I wish I were as pretty as you." Terra wriggled out of Raven's arms to sit up and face her.

"You are much more beautiful than I am." Raven propped her head up in her hands and stared frankly at the smaller Titan.

"I'm a broomstick. I look like I'm anorexic." Terra retorted.

"You do not. And you'd still be pretty even if you were a broomstick. Look how Beast Boy reacted when he saw how pretty you are."

"I _know_ Beast Boy's in love with me. But you were the one I always kind of…admired."

"What?"

Terra winced and fell back onto the mattress. "Okay…now I feel kind of stupid."

Raven lowered herself down to Terra's head level and gently pressed her hand into the small of the shorter girl's back. "Why do you feel stupid?"

"Because I…because now it's going to feel really awkward being around you, now that you know."

"Know what? That you've always wanted someone to understand you, and before you joined the Titans, you were hoping that particular friend would be me?"

"You could say that. I mean, I finally know you trust me, and then I—"

"Terra?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up and lie still."

Terra complied, a bit confused. Her bewilderment dissipated as she felt Raven stroke her back lightly, the way one does when they know their companion needs a little comfort.

Terra grinned. "This is nice."

"I would think so, after being a statue for seven months."

"I was stone that long?"

"Yes."

"Whoa. Yeah, that about explains it. You don't mind this, do you?"

"No, which leads me to believe there is something very wrong with me."

Terra chuckled softly.

Completely unsure of what she was doing, Raven smoothed Terra's hair, using her powers to comb out the knots. She had always resented physical intimacy, but then, this wasn't really that intimate.

Or maybe it was, and Raven was losing it.

Whatever.

Terra stirred faintly under Raven's warm hand. _Man, this is weird. But hey, who cares?_

The geomancer sat up slightly, locking eyes with Raven, almost as if that would help her figure out what the mage thought of this situation.

Raven had enormous eyes. Terra had always thought of them as amethyst crystals, or maybe ice, glittering and hard. Now, the ice had melted.

_So that's what Raven looks like when she actually makes a friend. I never would have guessed._

"So…" Terra began slowly. "You can stay until the others get back?"

"They'll probably tease us."

"Do you care?"

"No."

"Me neither." Terra replied.

"You should sleep. I highly doubt that changing from stone to human is restful. You could barely walk when you first got here.

_She's right; I'm beat. I hope going back to normal didn't hurt me._

"Good idea," Terra acknowledged through a yawn.

Just before Terra drifted off, she could have sworn she heard Raven whisper, "Sleep well…Amalia."

* * *

"Hey, dudes, check it out! The door to Terra's room is open, and the light's on!" Beast Boy shouted to the other Titans.

The other three had been heading into the Central Operations area.

"Why would friend Raven choose to venture into Terra's room?" Starfire wondered aloud.

"Maybe Terra's back!" Beast Boy yelped happily, charging down the hall. The others followed.

They were certainly in for a surprise.

Terra was sound asleep on her bed with Raven sitting cross-legged beside her. The smaller of the two was startlingly clean and neat-looking for someone who had been stone for seven months.

"That's…unexpected," Cyborg commented.

"Wonderful! Raven and Terra are finally friends!" Starfire squealed.

"You could say that," Raven noted, shaking Terra carefully to wake her. "Terra, we have company."

The shorter female stirred, then sat up, turned to face the other Titans, and grinned. "Hey, guys!" She leapt up and hugged Beast Boy.

"Hey Terra," Beast Boy replied gleefully, returning the embrace.

"Good to have you back, Terra," Robin greeted, always the gracious leader.

"Joyous blessings, friend!" Starfire squeaked, wrapping both Beast Boy and Terra in a full-blown Tamaranian-style lung-squeezing hug.

"Okay, Terra's back! TIME FOR WAFFLES!" Cyborg bellowed, then hurrying off to the kitchen.

"Hey, wait up! Terra wants soy milk with those waffles…right?" Beast Boy looked back at Terra for verification; she shrugged happily.

"HA! TERRA WANTS SOY MILK!" The shape-shifter chased his half-metal teammate down the hall. Terra and Starfire took off in hot pursuit.

"Raven?" Robin confronted her as she was leaving Terra's room. "So you two are actually friends now?"

"Is that so hard to believe?"

"Well, uh…"

"Let's go eat waffles, Robin." Raven floated off.

Robin shrugged, then headed towards the kitchen to join the celebration.

* * *

A/N: This was a weird random idea I couldn't get out of my head, so here it is, and I hope you liked it. 


	2. Shoujo Ai Version

Regeneration

Summary: Raven is alone in the Tower when a weak, frightened Terra comes knocking on the door. But why has Terra returned? And can Raven learn to trust?

Disclaimer: If I owned Teen Titans, there would be a way for Raven to force Trigon to leave her alone forever, Beast Boy would have a moped, Terra would be alive (but not paired off with Beast Boy), there would be more episodes with Blackfire in them, and Slade would NOT be working for Trigon. So needless to day, I don't own the show.

Pairings: TerraxRaven shoujo-ai

Author's Notes: I have seen no references to Terra's past that lead me to believe anything I have written in this fic. It all came from my imagination. Ergo Derek is my OC. And I would call Raven's eyes purple, not blue. Oh yeah, and this fic is set directly after _The End: Part III_.

* * *

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos. Azarath, Metrion…"

Raven was meditating. The other Titans had gone out for pizza. Still slightly rattled over the near-permanent destruction of the universe, Raven had found that some extra meditation was required.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zin-"

The Titans' doorbell rang. Raven irritably cracked her eyes open. Who on Earth could that be? The Titans wouldn't use the doorbell. It must be some crazed fan who…

The Tower intercom crackled into life. But only a Titan would know the intercom password. So that meant…

"Guys, it's Terra! I know you're probably still mad at me, but please let me in!"

It certainly sounded like Terra's voice. And it was plausible that when the rest of Earth's population had gone back from stone to flesh, Terra had as well.

Raven phased down to the door and opened it.

Terra looked frightful. Her long blonde hair was matted, her face was smudged, and she was still wearing the peeling metallic suit Slade had forced her to wear. Her knees were trembling, as if staying upright took a tremendous effort.

Terra stared hopefully into the other girl's hard eyes. "Raven…?"

"Don't get your hopes up. The others are out getting pizza."

The geomancer sank to her knees, as if begging for mercy; really, she just lacked the strength to stand. "C-can I come in? Please?" Her voice sounded faithless, as if she knew the answer would be "no."

Realizing that Terra had taken that last sentence the wrong way, Raven said, not unkindly, "I only meant you'll have to wait to see Beast Boy. Come on."

Very matter-of-factly, Raven locked one of Terra's arms around her neck and helped her up.

"Thanks," Terra whispered.

"No problem."

Raven walked Terra down the hall, figuring that she would need to lie down. It was as if her time as a statue had robbed her of the energy required for walking.

"You guys left my room the way it was?" Terra queried as they entered. "Why? I mean, I thought you would have…"

"We were hoping we'd find a way to wake you," Raven replied as she rested Terra on her bed. The shaking girl hugged her knees to her chest.

Raven turned to leave; it wasn't like her to stay and chat.

"Raven?"

"What?" she attempted not to sound harsh.

"Can you help me get this off?" Terra indicated the Slade suit.

Raven considered; if she were Terra, she would definitely want that thing off of her.

"Slade…he said it had integrated into my skin…I don't know if it'll come off…"

"We can try. Lie down."

The smaller girl obeyed.

"I think I can use my powers. But it's going to hurt."

Terra gulped slightly and nodded. "I don't care, just get it off."

"Okay. But first I'm going to see if there's a way to keep it from hurting. Because if I don't, it's going to hurt a lot."

Raven's hand found the back of Terra's neck, and she released a band of black magic that wound itself around the shorter girl's throat. Terra whimpered.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah…I just thought for a second you were going to strangle me."

Raven smirked. "And you were worried about me trusting you."

Terra kept her silence, but she couldn't conceal her injured expression.

"If I strangled you, I would get kicked off the team." Not an apology, but about as close to one as Raven would get.

The blonde did not seem reassured.

"It won't hurt you. That band is to numb you." Raven pinched some exposed skin on Terra's forearm where the suit had chipped away. "Did you feel that?"

"No."

"Good." Raven laid a hand on the suit's collar. Black magic inched its was down Terra's frame, separating skin from metal. It was a truly odd sensation; Terra could literally feel the molecules of the suit disentangling themselves from her tissue.

"This isn't one of those delayed-reaction things, is it? It's going to hurt like crazy the second you're done?"

"No." Raven shifted to healing energy now that the alloy was separated from Terra's body.

Terra had never seen Raven use her healing powers. She watched, fascinated, as a shimmering azure shield surrounded her, repairing her damaged skin.

"There." Raven vaporized the sense-numbing band and, using her telekinesis, pulled the dismembered suit from Terra's prone form.

It was then that Raven realized that Terra was bare underneath the suit.

Without missing a beat, the mage slipped off her cloak and draped it across Terra's exposed body. Using her powers, she summoned an outfit that lay carelessly draped over Terra's dresser and handed it to the girl curled up under the navy blue cloth. "Is this okay?"

"Yeah." Terra took the clothes from Raven's outstretched hand.

"I'll turn around while you change."

The geomancer dressed herself. "Raven?"

The taller girl swiveled. "Yeah?"

"Why did I…you know…wake up?"

Raven inhaled deeply. "I think I know. It's part of a very long story."

"What is it?"

"It involves me, my birthday, a demon, Slade, our friends, and a prophecy." She hoped she could get away with an evasive answer.

Terra blinked. "Huh?"

Raven swallowed, linked her fingers together, and began her tale.

"I was raised in a dimension called Azarath. I lived there with my mother, a sorceress named Lady Azar, and the Monks of Azarath, who trained me to control my powers. When I was born, they looked into my future, and they found a prophecy. I was destined to become a portal to the place where my father was imprisoned so he could come to Earth and, from there, destroy the universe."

"Your father?"

"He's a demon called Trigon, the source of all evil. As you may have gathered, I'm a rape child."

Terra chewed her fingertips. Her eyes were wider than saucers. "Oh my God…that's why you have four eyes when you lose control of your powers."

Raven nodded. "A celestial cycle was set in motion the day I turned seventeen. And to remind me, Trigon brought Slade back from the dead—as a skeleton with clothes—and sent him to give me the message of my destiny. His chosen method of message-delivering was tearing my clothes off and burning demonic symbols into my skin."

The geomancer began making noises like a frightened puppy.

"I couldn't meditate for a long time. I returned to Azarath to get help, but it had been destroyed. While I was gone, Slade tried to kill the other Titans, but I returned to Earth and beat him up. Then I told the other Titans the truth about my fate.

When the sun eclipsed, I knew that it was time for me to become the portal. Our friends tried to stop me, but I put a spell on them to protect them from Trigon's purge and became the portal anyway. Because I had gone of my own free will, Trigon left Slade a walking skeleton. After I brought Trigon to Earth, he took away my powers, but Slade helped Robin rescue me, and I was able to exorcise Trigon back to hell."

"I thought he took away your powers."

A ghost of a smile appeared on Raven's face. "He thought he did. Unfortunately, Robin had to help Slade in return for help rescuing me, and Slade was able to get his flesh and blood back. But anyway, I reversed all the destruction that Trigon caused, including all the humans that had been turned to stone. I think you became human again as well, when that happened."

"Holy…" Terra could not seem to find an expletive strong enough for what she wanted to express. "So you beat your father? Despite that whole prophecy thing?"

Raven nodded.

To her surprise, Terra hugged her. "That's…incredible. I…wow. I never knew you were so strong."

"I don't know if 'strong' is the right word." Slowly, almost hesitantly, Raven returned Terra's embrace.

"But Slade…he's…"

"Back."

Raven could feel the smaller girl tremble. "You said…Slade tore your clothes off…he didn't…"

"No," the telekinetic replied quickly. "Why? He never did anything like that to you, did he?"

"No. Nearly electrocuting me was the worst of it."

"Wonderful."

"You don't think…now that he's back…he'll come after me?" Terra suddenly felt sick and guilty, worrying about what Slade might do to her, after Raven had been traumatized, haunted, stripped of power, and forced to become a portal to the underworld.

"You have your friends to protect you. I know what it's like to have Slade after you. I won't let him touch you, if he has the guts to try and attack you." _Why did I say "I?" I meant all of the Titans, didn't I?_

Terra's arms tightened around Raven's neck. "Thank you."

"You are welcome."

Raven gently pushed Terra back onto the mattress and got up to leave.

"Raven?"

"Yeah."

"I…I know it's stupid, but…I'm still kind of freaked…will you stay with me?"

Raven knew exactly how that felt; curled up in the dark, lonely and frightened and shaking, no one there to fight away the menacing ghost hanging over your neck like a guillotine blade.

"OK." Raven delicately lay down beside Terra. Again, the shorter girl squirmed closer to Raven and hugged her.

"Terra?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you _mind?_"

The blue-eyed girl blushed. "Sorry. I just—sorry."

"You just what?"

"I don't want to feel alone."

Raven was silent. On one hand, intimacy such as physical contact made Raven feel uncomfortable. On the other hand, if Terra needed to be that close…would it be _so_ torturous?

Rather stiffly, Raven looped her arm around Terra's waist. "I may have to attach duct tape to your mouth to prevent you from telling the other Titans about this, but oh well." Terra's dresser drawers flew open; Raven winced.

This time understanding that Raven was joking, Terra snuggled up to her like a cat, pressing her head into the empath's shoulder.

Though Terra expected a cold body rigid with displeasure, she found Raven to be surprisingly soft.

Perhaps it was her icy, hard manner that made this fact unexpected, but Terra hadn't anticipated that this particular situation would be this comfortable.

"I thought you wouldn't let me…uh…do this."

"That makes two of us."

"Raven, when I was working for Slade…what I did to you and the other Titans…"

"You made a mistake. You made up for it by killing Slade."

"A mistake? Not many people who make mistakes almost kill their friends!"

"Not many people make mistakes that nearly destroy the universe either."

Terra calmed herself. "I'm sorry. I was stupid. But when…Slade said he was the only one who would ever help me…"

"Terra, we forgive you. No more angsting over what you did. You earned our trust by betraying Slade."

"I…I did? But you never…"

"I trust you, Terra."

The geomancer squeezed her eyes shut, tears leaking from beneath her closed lids.

Raven felt a tear drip onto her chest, heard Terra sniffle. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah…I just really needed to hear that. Especially from you. I mean, you were the one I always wanted to l…to trust me."

It was Raven's turn to be startled. "Me? Not Beast Boy?"

"Well, Beast Boy kind of always trusted me. But when I was still a drifter, I heard about the Titans. I'd see you guys in magazines and newspapers and stuff. I heard about you. How you had trouble controlling your powers, like me. I always thought: maybe if I ever got to meet you, you could…help me."

_Oh, great._ "Sorry to, uh, disappoint you. But when you first arrived, I felt like you were going to take my place on the team, and I resented that. But—this might make you feel better—I had a vision of you working for Slade. That was why I didn't trust you."

"So you knew? And you didn't do anything?"

"I decided to give you a second chance."

An image floated unwelcome into Terra's mind, one of Raven tipping her head back for a final gasp of air before being forced down into the muddy water.

"And look what I did with it."

"I forgive you, remember?"

"At least you gave me the second chance. That's more than my parents gave me."

"What did they do?"

"When they found out what I could do, they dumped me in an orphanage. They were scared, I guess."

"Were you ever adopted?"

"No. They always said I had a behavioral problem. I'd always get in trouble for throwing rocks at the kids I didn't like. I always insisted it wasn't me, but…it was. I just didn't know it."

"When did you find out it _was_ you?"

"There was this one boy, Derek, who always teased me about how I always got in trouble and didn't have any friends. One day when I was eight, he and a bunch of his lackeys cornered me and started throwing sticks and rubber bands at me. There was this huge rock near my feet, and I thought how I'd just like to ram it into his head, and well…it did."

"Was we okay?"

"He died."

Maybe Terra was imagining things, but she could have sworn that Raven's arms tightened around her back.

"If this helps, I killed someone too. When I was young, and my powers had a growth spurt and my ability to control them didn't."

"How old were you?"

"Six."

"Oh my God."

"Did you leave the orphanage right after the…accident?"

"I'm sixteen now. I left when I was twelve."

"Why did you leave then?"

"They were finally starting to figure out it wasn't a ghost throwing rocks around…or a human throwing them by hand. I was trying to learn to control my powers, but I nearly caused a mudslide. I figured I'd better beat it before they came after me."

"Did you ever think about looking for your parents?"

"After I found records of why they left me—they couldn't financially or psychologically handle my 'behavioral problems,' when the people who ran the orphanage said I didn't start hitting people with rocks until I was five—no. I found out my real name, though."

"What is it?"

"It's Amalia. Amalia Olivia Anderson."

"Very Scandinavian," Raven commented. "Amalia. That's really pretty."

_Did Raven just pay me a compliment?_

"Yeah. I still went by Terra, though. The police never went looking for a runaway 'Terra,' because the orphanage sure didn't want me back."

"So then what?"

"I tried to be a hero, like the Titans. But sometimes I'd lose control…"

"I see."

"What about you?"

"Me what?" Raven queried.

"How did you get here?"

"When I was thirteen, I sensed something while I was meditating. I felt Trigon getting restless. When I kept getting visions of his destroying Azarath and capturing me, I told Lady Azar. She gave me that book I'm always reading—the Book of Azar—and then she, the monks, and my mother sent me to Earth. They had always known that I would bring Trigon to Earth, so they thought Earth would be the last place my father would look for me."

"Did he come to Azarath anyway?"

"And destroy it? Yes."

"What about…what about Lady Azar? And your mom?"

Raven paused. "I don't know."

"I hope she's okay." Terra whispered.

"Me too." There was another lull after the grim sentence. "Anyway, I came here, because the chamber where I was supposed to become the portal was in this city; again, the last place Trigon would ever look. I arrived around the time the Titans were forming, and I thought I might as well help some people before…well, you get it."

Unable to think of anything to say, Terra stroked Raven's back gently.

"Damn, I didn't mean to get into my depressing life story."

"It's okay."

Terra nuzzled Raven's collarbone. This really was nice, curling up to her idol-turned-enemy-turned-friend, learning that Raven could relate to all of Terra's power-related problems. Even Beast Boy couldn't understand her on that level. Just Raven…

The earth-mover remembered seeing pictures of the Titans for the first time. Raven had always worn her hood up, and all Terra had been able to see of her face were the two piercing violet eyes. But then, in a magazine, there had been one candid shot of the Titans getting pizza. Raven's cowl had been down and, the day being warm, she had actually removed her cloak and hung it on the back of her chair. Terra recalled thinking, _Wow, she's pretty. Why does she always hide inside that cloak? Is she that…closed in person? Man, I wouldn't hide my face if I were that beautiful…I wish I _were_ that beautiful. And I'm so scrawny…it would be nice if my body were less like mine, and more like hers… _

Terra was suddenly jerked out of her reverie when she remembered that Raven was a telepath. _Dude, I really hope she wasn't reading my mind._

"Hey, Raven?"

"Yeah."

"Can you read minds?"

"I sense emotions, not direct thoughts or memories. Actually, I can 'read minds,' but not without the other person noticing, because I have to send my soulself into their mind. Only if I perform a mind-meld can the other person see my thoughts. Why?"

"Uh…I just remembered you using your healing powers on me, and I wondered what else you could do."

"Okay." Raven did not sound convinced.

_I have her trust. Now I have to keep it._ "Well, really, I was hoping you weren't reading my mind, because I was just thinking…you're really pretty.

Raven's reply was surprising. "I am not."

"How can you say that? You're hot!"

"I have gray skin, Terra."

Terra considered the sorceress's bare legs resting against her own. "Your gray skin is fine with me."

"Really."

"Yeah, really! Geez, I wish I were as pretty as you." Terra wriggled out of Raven's arms to sit up and face her.

"You are much more beautiful than I am." Raven propped her head up in her hands and stared frankly at the smaller Titan.

"I'm a broomstick. I look like I'm anorexic." Terra retorted.

"You do not. And you'd still be pretty even if you were a broomstick. Look how Beast Boy reacted when he saw how pretty you are."

"_You_ were the one I was hoping would notice me!" Terra shouted.

"What?" Raven's eyes actually widened.

Terra clamped a hand over her mouth. "I didn't mean to say that," she mumbled from behind her fingers.

"It's all right. I noticed some odd vibes coming from you since that first hug. So _that's_ what you were feeling."

Terra fell back onto the mattress. "I feel really stupid now."

Raven lowered herself down to Terra's head level and gently pressed her hand into the small of the shorter girl's back. "Why do you feel stupid?"

"Because I…because now it's going to feel really awkward being around you, now that you know."

"Know what? That you've wanted me to help you control your powers for a long time? That you've always needed someone to understand you? That you think I'm pretty?"

"You could say that. I mean, I finally know you trust me, and then I—"

"Terra?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up and get over here." Raven held one arm out to the geomancer, as if beckoning. Terra complied, closing the distance between her and Raven for the third time.

A content sound escaped Terra's throat. "This is nice."

"I would think so, after being a statue for seven months."

"I was stone that long?"

"Yeah."

"Whoa. But I doubt that's the only reason why I like this," Terra commented as she clasped her arms tightly around Raven's neck. "Do you mind?"

"No, which leads me to believe there is something very wrong with me."

Terra chuckled softly.

Completely unsure of what she was doing, Raven smoothed Terra's hair, using her powers to comb out the knots. She had always resented physical intimacy: sharp elbows poking, arms clinging, belts and buckles jabbing, et cetera. And all that discomfort you could get from one hug. Most people who hugged Raven did so once. Just once.

For some reason, having Terra so close wasn't annoying. It wasn't bad at all, really, which could have had to with the fact that Terra seemed like a little kitten curled up next to her; warm and comfortable, but not invasively affectionate.

Or maybe Raven was losing it.

Whatever.

Terra tucked her head under Raven's chin, positive her cheeks were aflame. _Man, this is weird. But hey, I like it, so who cares?_

The geomancer sat up slightly, locking eyes with Raven, almost as if that would help her figure out what the mage thought of this situation.

Raven had enormous eyes. Terra had always thought of them as amethyst crystals, or maybe ice, glittering and hard. Now, the ice had melted into a warm, rich violet liquid, like a sea.

"Terra…" the telepath's warning whisper reminded the smaller girl of just how much she had leaned up to get a better look at Raven's eyes. Somehow her hand had reached up and twined its fingers within Raven's short, glossy hair. How had that happened?

"We can't do this. You and Beast Boy are soul mates, remember?"

"Beast Boy wouldn't know…" Terra protested.

"That's not the point. You and Beast Boy are so perfect for each other it's boring. So just restrain yourself until he gets back to the Tower."

"But, Raven…"

"Did Beast Boy ever kiss you?"

"N-no."

"Then get a grip. If you had leaned up any farther…" Raven stopped and took a few deep breaths to calm herself. "If you and Beast Boy are going to stay together, I would _strongly_ suggest that your first kiss should be with him."

"Yeah, you're right." Terra nestled her head underneath Raven's chin again.

"So you really were about to kiss me."

"…yeah. I wasn't really thinking about it."

"Obviously." Raven's voice was dry and sardonic.

"Well, you're really pretty, and you've done a lot for me…the same thing probably would have happened if I had been thinking."

"It's a good thing I was using my brain, then."

"Was it really?" Terra sounded dismal. Perhaps someone with empathic powers may not have been able to pick up that tone, but Raven could.

"Yes. So I helped you get the Slade suit off, and we found out we've had similar issues with our powers. So what? You and Beast Boy belong together. Period."

"Why do you say that, though?" Terra objected.

"Because I can sense emotions, remember? And sometimes I know people's feelings better than they do."

"So what do your powers tell you about my feelings?" the geomancer demanded.

"It took me a while to successfully read your vibes today, and I never sensed any really positive emotions you felt for me when you first joined the team."

"What about me and Beast Boy?"

"You and Beast Boy had a strong connection almost from the second you two met. You started out as best friends and worked your way up."

Terra said nothing. She knew she had some kind of powerful bond with Beast Boy, but she would have thought that her feelings for Raven were stronger than the empath claimed they were. "Are you sure?"

"About your feelings for Beast Boy?"

"About my feelings for you."

"They aren't as potent as you think they are, Terra."

Terra bit down on her fingernails.

"Maybe I should teach you to meditate. It might help you sort out your feelings."

"Would it help with my powers too?"

"Most likely."

Terra hesitated before replying. So now she would get Raven to help her control her powers. But the other girl was making it sound like meditation would make her "less powerful" emotions dwindle. "Okay. Learning to meditate would be cool, I guess. And it would help…'sort out my feelings.'"

"Think about this, too. Beast Boy is head over heels for you. He was heartbroken when you turned to stone. Do you want to break his heart _again_?"

"No."

Raven squeezed the blonde's shoulder reassuringly. "Terra, emotions are hard to deal with, even when—unlike mine—they don't cause danger. But trust me; you'll be happy with Beast Boy."

"I know. I trust you."

Even Raven couldn't ignore the plaintive sound in the shorter girl's voice.

"Here." The empath pecked Terra's forehead softly. "You can have my first kiss, but I can't have yours."

"Okay." Terra blushed violently. "So…can you stay until the others get back?"

"We'll have some explaining to do."

"Do you care?"

"No."

"Me neither," Terra sighed.

"You should sleep. I highly doubt that changing from stone to human is restful. You could barely walk when you first got here.

_She's right; I'm beat. I hope going back to normal didn't hurt me._

"Good idea," Terra acknowledged through a yawn.

Raven's warmth encompassed the geomancer like a thick sweater on a winter day. It was easy to submerge into slumber.

Just before Terra drifted off, she could have sworn she heard Raven whisper, "Sleep well, Amalia."

* * *

"Hey, dudes, check it out! The door to Terra's room is open, and the light's on!" Beast Boy shouted to the other Titans.

The other three had been heading into the Central Operations area.

"Why would friend Raven choose to venture into Terra's room?" Starfire wondered aloud.

"Maybe Terra's back!" Beast Boy yelped happily, charging down the hall. The others followed.

They were certainly in for a surprise.

Raven and Terra were curled up tightly on Terra's bed, and the smaller of the two was startlingly clean and neat-looking for someone who had been stone for seven months. Both young women were sleeping lightly.

"Well, they certainly look…comfortable." Robin said haltingly.

"Yo, now _that_ is weird." Cyborg commented.

"Wonderful! Raven and Terra are finally friends!" Starfire squealed.

Their exclamations woke Raven, who shook Terra slightly. The blonde stirred and sat up, smiling sleepily at the Azarathean girl. The standing Titans watched, agog, as Terra slipped her arms around Raven's neck.

"Terra, we have company." Raven prompted quietly. The shorter female turned to face her stunned friends and grinned.

"Hey, guys!" Terra leapt up and hugged Beast Boy tightly.

"Hey Terra," Beast Boy replied, relieved that his girlfriend was now acting normal.

"So what's up?" Terra continued brightly. "Raven said something about the end of the world and stone people going back to normal. So since I'm back, isn't it waffle time?"

"Well all right!" Cyborg agreed, giving Terra a friendly slap on the back and hurrying off to the kitchen.

"Hey, wait up! Terra wants tofu bacon with those waffles…right?" Beast Boy looked back at Terra for verification; she shrugged happily.

"HA! TERRA WANTS TOFU BACON!" The shape-shifter chased his half-metal teammate down the hall. Terra and Starfire took off in hot pursuit.

"Raven?" Robin stopped the telepath as she was leaving Terra's room. "Is there something going on we should know about? With you and Terra?"

Raven tilted her head to one side, considering. "No," she decided, floating down the corridor after her overexcited friends.

Robin scratched his head, trying to figure her out. But then again, could _anyone_ figure Raven out?

The masked boy headed towards the kitchen to join the celebration.

* * *

A/N: This was a weird random idea I couldn't get out of my head, so here it is, and I hope you liked it. 


	3. Author's Question

Author's Notes:

I am at a loss here, folks. Under the assumption that I will henceforth stop writing RaeStar (and, with the completion of _Regeneration_, I will stop writing shoujo-ai in general), there are two fic ideas that are jockeying for dominance in my head. Neither of them is winning, so I'll ask my reviewers: which of the following stories would you guys like me to write? Please respond in the reviews.

* * *

_Equilibrium_

Terra has been gone for a long time. Cyborg has hooked up with Bumblebee and Robin has hooked up with Starfire. And Beast Boy is feeling lonely. After the Malchior incident, Beast Boy is wondering if Raven needs a companion. But when he tries to tell her his feelings (gasp) Raven thinks his loneliness is referring to the loss of Terra. So she tries to find a way to bring the geomancer back to life. Beast Boy agrees, not seeing any harm in reviving Terra. But what he doesn't know is, the spell that is required to resurrect Terra will cost Raven her life. RavenXBeast Boy (if Raven doesn't die...)

* * *

_The Dragon's Teeth_

Post-_The End_. Yes, Trigon is gone, thanks to Raven…but not so gone that his influence on her powers is no longer dangerous. After a bit of research, Raven finds that Malchior has his own vendetta against Trigon. So she strikes a bargain with him: if he promises to help her fight Trigon, she'll get him out of the book (and into a dimension besides Earth's). But during the course of the fight, Malchior begins to wonder why this strange human girl trusts him after he betrayed her once. Mild RavenXMalchior.

* * *

Thank you.

-Gothic Tiger


End file.
